Deadly Blessing - Ascend From The Cauldron

Kickin' this new years off with an outrageously awesome, underrated thrashing gem from '88. Progressiveness, technicality, wailing John Arch-esqe caterwauling from vocalist Ski and an overall sense of theatricality make these Jersey boys' debut and lone full-length a definitive classic of power-trash.

A Blessing in Disguise

!T.O.O.H! - Democratic Solution

This new !T.O.O.H! is really good and strange. I'm glad the brothers Schizoid and Humanoid decided to go out on a swansong. I can honestly say there ain't another band playing music that sounds like this. Go over to their  fb page and dl the thing already + all the Gemini Gem offerings and rare !T.O.O.H! recordings...its a veritable treasure trove!

Snowfall

Osiris - Futurity And Human Depressions

Another Dutch technothrash gem...geez, what are they puttin' in the water over there??

Futurity and Human Depressions

Paralysis - Architecture Of The Imagination

Dark, progressive and technical as hell...Paralysis certainly went out on a high note.

Architecture Of The Imagination

Paralysis - Visions

The Dutch were very very good at technothrash. Paralysis is just one of many...Mystrez --- Imperium --- Osiris --- Rhadamantys --- I could go on (and I will, don't worry). Their debut ep Arctic Sleep was a stunner and Visions ain't no slouch. Same vocalist, so you know there is some obtuse caterwaulin' goin' down. The song "Escape From Yesterday" absolutely has to be heard to be believed.

Visions

Secrecy - Raging Romance

Secrecy's sophomore album and every bit as good as Art In Motion...just more of that Romantic Teutonic Technothrash that I can't get enough of lately.

Rager

Secrecy - Art In Motion

Technical German thrash that at it's best recalls the Baroque chordal sensibility of Blackie era Root (I'm especially reminded of Black Seal for some reason), setting this band apart even further are the Buddy Lackey-esque vocals of Peter Dartin. I love love love the solos on this album!

Art In Motion

Vortex - Open The Gate

Some good ol' fashioned Dutch heavy metal full off swagger and idiosyncracies. The crooner especially has a lot of charimsa.

Open The Gate

Wolf Spider - Drifting In The Sullen Sea

One of my favorite prog-thrash releases ever...These Polish thrashers really deliver imaginative deadly weird high-octane hooks that make the seas not so much sullen as electrifying...not to mention the endearingly wild vocals of Jacky Piotrowski...the man is just unstoppable. Otherworldly thrash for the underworld.

Drifting

Sider - Labyrinth

What if Watchtower and Dream Theater got together and had an insane Bulgarian technothrash baby? You need no longer wonder about this...

Labyrinth

Breaker - Coffee Breaker

If you liked the French Nardwuar, you're sure to love Matt the Cat's interview with essential Cleveland metal band Breaker (best band to form during a clambake) during their 1983 Coffee Breaker concert. Jim the Ham Hamar Done Pepe DePew and crew tear it up while trying to ward off moistness.

Stay Moist

Beefheartin'

UzJD on WFMU

Live Uz Jsme Doma...the best of Czech! Since when did Miroslav turn into the blonde Gallagher?...and speaking of Gallagher, any updates on that melon crackin' son of a bitch?

Light Shall Prevail - Unearthen Hymns Of Revolt

Another EEE freakout releaase, much more classic black metal than Agathothodion, but don't fret cuz there's still plenty of moanin' and dronin' goin' down on this one I promise.

Unearthen Hymns Of Revolt

Comus - First Utterance

Definitely one of the darkest hippy albums ever made and definitely a personal fav. Check out these AMAZING lyrics:
Hymen hunter, hands of steel, crack you open and your red flesh peel
Pain procurer, eyes of fire pierce your womb and push still higher
Comus rape, Comus break sweet young virgin's virtue take
Naked flesh flowing hair her terror screams they cut the air
...nice, huh?

First Utterance

Arthur Brown - The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

The ineffable Arthur Brown --- Evil pyromaniacal occult hippy musick

...and certainly a bigtime influence on the Norwegian corpsepaint aesthetic

cool poster from catesatomicgarden 

The Crazeee Woild

Chastain - The Voice Of The Cult

An absolutely essential heavy metal masterpiece released on Leviathan Records back in 1988. Dark, melodic, technical and featuring the fantastic vocals of Ms. Leather Leone...

The Voice Of The Cult

Circle Of Ouroborus - Shores

One of the best most essential albums made in the last ten years.

Shores

Why Don't They Make Music Videos Like This Anymore?